45 Are you afraid of me?
◎Why do you hide when you see me◎
She took his hand and squeezed out of the crowd: "Ah Jing, why don't you go to the bookstore and buy some books first? I'll come find you when I'm done."
Ji Shijing shook his head and held her hand with a little force.
Shu Yao then realized that his hands were very cold. Startled, she looked up and asked him, "Are you cold?"
"Not cold." He said lightly.
The girls in Zui Xiang Fang lined up consciously to wait for their makeup. Seeing Ji Shijing's unapproachable look, they didn't dare to "tease" him anymore, but some of them still secretly asked Shu Yao.
When they learned that Ji Shijing was the second son of the Ji family, they all started to shake their heads. Everyone knew that the second son of Ji was a disaster star. His mother died when he was just born. It was said that anyone who had anything to do with him would be unlucky. It would be better for him to just put on makeup.
Shen Jing'an sat aside, holding Shen Qianxiao. She touched his lips, but her eyes turned to Ji Shijing: "Prince, I never thought there would be such a beautiful person in this world."
Shen Jing'an bit her slender finger lightly and said in an unhappy voice: "Qian Xiao thinks he is good-looking?"
Shen Qianxiao fell into his arms, laughing uncontrollably. Holding his face, she said seriously, "To Qianxiao, the prince is unique."
Chen Jing'an then smiled, pecked her lightly on the corner of her mouth, then took her in his arms and walked towards the carriage outside, heading straight to Zui Xiang Fang.
After they left, Ji Shijing went over and slammed the door shut.
When Chen Jing'an heard the noise and looked behind him, he was slightly stunned when he saw the closed shop door.
Shu Yao was busy for the whole morning, and Ji Shijing was waiting for her quietly beside her. She put plum blossom makeup on the girls of the Nongyan department, and they were all very satisfied.
After noon, only Shu Yao and Ji Shi were left in the shop. Knowing that no more girls would come in the afternoon, she planned to close the shop and go home.
The two walked to the street. Perhaps because it was near the end of the year, the street was bustling with people buying New Year's goods. Some restaurants and bookstores were also decorated in festive red.
Shu Yao bought two servings of sugar-roasted chestnuts and handed one to Ji Shijing: "Warm your hands." But when she thought of what he did last night, she unconsciously distanced herself from him.
Ji Shijing looked at her: "Are you afraid of me?"
Shu Yao peeled a chestnut and said, "How is that possible?"
"Then why do you hide when you see me?" he asked.
Shu Yao was speechless and resigned herself to her fate as she took his hand: "Okay, okay, I won't hide anymore, okay?"
Only then did Ji Shijing curl his lips.
When they reached West Street, Shu Yao saw Ji Tianbao being surrounded by a group of people and entering a very luxurious manor. His face was flushed and he was surrounded by people who were praising him.
Shu Yao looked up and saw the two big words "Gambling House" written on Zhuangzi's plaque.
She clenched the sugar-roasted chestnuts in her hand. It seemed that Ji Tianbao was addicted to gambling. No wonder she hadn't seen him in the mansion these days. It turned out that he was staying in the gambling house.
Once you get involved in gambling, it’s like a dog-skin plaster that you can’t get rid of.
Ji Shijing followed her gaze and said, "You want to go in."
Shu Yao quickly shook her head, pulled him into the bookstore on the other side, and picked out a few scriptures.
When she came out again, she glanced at the "gambling house" opposite and quickly looked away.
…
Five days passed in a flash.
This day was Ji Zhao's wedding day, but there was no trace of joy in the house. There was not even any red silk hanging, and the servants were doing their duties, as if they were unaware that there was a wedding in the mansion today.
Guo Cuiping combed her daughter's hair, holding back tears, her tone filled with reluctance: "Zhao'er, yesterday you were held in your mother's arms like a child, how come you are getting married today?"
Ji Zhao was waiting for her lover to come pick her up with great joy, and ignored her mother's emotions. When a little maid accidentally applied lip balm in the wrong direction, she twisted the maid's ear and said, "If you can't even do this little thing right, I don't want these hands of yours anymore."
The maid was terrified and knelt on the ground begging for mercy.
Ji Lai came in holding the wedding dress and said, "Sister, today is your big day, please spare this little maid." After saying that, he went up to help her change her clothes.
Ji Zhao kicked the little maid and told her to get out. When she saw the wedding dress that Ji Lai brought in, she immediately became dissatisfied.
The wedding dress was very plain, made of ordinary material, without any gemstones or even a few gold threads. She became angry and asked, "Where is the gold-threaded wedding dress I liked yesterday?"
Ji Lai considered and said, "Grandmother said that the dress cannot be given to my sister."
Ji Zhao picked up the teacup beside him and slammed it to the ground. He turned to look at Guo Cuiping and said, "Mother, I want that wedding dress."
Guo Cuiping felt sorry for her daughter, but she also knew the old lady's temper. She leaned over and whispered a few words in her ear. Only then did Ji Zhao calm down and reluctantly put on the wedding dress.
After everything was ready, she kept looking at herself in the mirror. She was very satisfied with her appearance and asked Guo Cuiping: "Mother, how much is my dowry?"
Guo Cuiping's eyes dodged, and she patted her hand to comfort her: "You'll know when the time comes."
Before covering her head with the veil, Guo Cuiping asked her again: "Mother, let me ask you again, are you really determined to marry Ge Yong?"
Ji Zhao shyly touched her belly and said, "I already have Yonglang's child. I will follow him through life and death."
Guo Cuiping sighed and resigned herself to her fate by covering her head with the veil.
After all, it was her daughter's wedding, so all the necessary etiquette should be observed. Guo Cuiping asked Ji Lai to pack the wedding candies and deliver them to each family.
Ji Lai came to Chunhua Pavilion with wedding candy. Only then did Shu Yao know that today was Ji Zhao's wedding day. Out of politeness, she congratulated him.
But Ji Lai didn't look happy. She said, "Sister-in-law, do you think my sister will be happy if she marries him?"
Shu Yao shook her head, she didn't know.
When she left the house through the side door, she happened to meet Ge Yong who came to pick up the bride. The three of them were walking in.
Shu Yao slipped into the corridor on the side.
Ge Yong wore a groom's suit that was washed white, and a formal "official hat" on his head, with a proud expression on his face.
Ge's father and mother peeked inside and looked at the huge back garden. Their eyes widened and they exclaimed "Wow". The yard of a rich family is different. The space for planting flowers is so big.
The old woman who came to help them lead the way looked down upon their behavior and could not help but sneered, "Please follow me."
After they were far away, Shu Yao slowly walked out.
Along the way, Ge's father and mother sighed again and again. When they thought that they could live here for the rest of their lives, they couldn't help but feel secretly happy.
When they entered Ji Zhao's room, Ge's mother walked up to her first, took her hand and praised her with a "tsk tsk".
When Ji Zhao saw the pair of old hands resting on his through the veil, he couldn't help feeling nauseous. He immediately pulled his hands back, then covered his chest and vomited continuously.
Seeing this, Mother Ge's face darkened. She folded her arms and stood aside coldly, "What? Does the new daughter-in-law dislike her future mother-in-law?"
Ge Yong gave his mother a look, asking her to stop talking. Ge's mother closed her mouth reluctantly, but in the blink of an eye, she saw the gold jewelry on the dressing table. She couldn't help but touch it, her eyes full of greed.
While no one was paying attention, she hid all the gold hairpins and jewelry in her sleeves.
Ge Yong took Ji Zhao's hand and said affectionate words of love that would last until death. Ji Zhao was deeply moved.
He took Ji Zhao's hand and walked out of the house: "Zhao'er, are all the guests coming today in the front hall?" When he just arrived, he felt that there was no joy in the house, it was cold and deserted, and he felt uneasy.
Ji Zhao paused and stammered, "Grandmother doesn't allow a wedding banquet, Yonglang, just take me to your house directly."
Ge Yong's smile froze, and he asked again, "Zhao'er, how much is your dowry?"
Mr. and Mrs. Ge pricked up their ears to listen.
Ji Zhao's face turned pale: "My mother hasn't given it to me yet."
Ge Yong let go of her hand, and his tone lost its gentleness and consideration: "You are about to leave, and I haven't given you a dowry yet. Are you planning not to give it to me?"
Upon hearing this, Ge's mother immediately shouted loudly: "What! Your family doesn't have any dowry? We spent one hundred taels of silver to marry you. If there is no dowry, we will be at a huge loss." After saying that, she picked her teeth and spit pickle seeds on the ground.
Ge's father also had a bad temper. When he heard that there was no dowry, he planned to pull Ji Zhao against him. Ge Yong could see the situation clearly and knew that he could not take action on someone else's territory, so he stood in front of Ji Zhao.
Just as they were about to ask for the dowry, Guo Cuiping came over with an exquisite box. When she saw Ge Yong's family, her face was full of disgust, especially Ge's mother. Ge's mother had a mean face and it was obvious that she was not easy to get along with. She took a few deep breaths, put the box in Ji Zhao's hand, and whispered in her ear: "This is the dowry from your mother. Put it away when you go back. Don't give it to Ge Yong's mother."
Ge Yong introduced Guo Cuiping to his parents, but Guo Cuiping didn't even look at them.
Ji Zhao weighed the box in his hand. It was heavy, and he guessed that there was a lot of silver inside. "Mom, you just promised to give me some banknotes separately. Where are those banknotes?"
Guo Cuiping patted the box: "It's all in here."
Only then did Ji Zhao become happy.
Mother Ge walked up to Guo Cuiping and said, "Mother-in-law, your house seems quite big. When will you clean up a few rooms for us to live in?"
Guo Cuiping rolled her eyes at her: "Is your son a live-in son-in-law?"
Mother Ge stopped talking.
Father Ge snorted, "She's the daughter of a wealthy family, yet she's been involved with my son before they even got married. It's a good thing my son likes her, otherwise a woman like her wouldn't be worthy of entering my house."
Guo Cuiping was just so angry that she had no place to vent. When she heard someone say this about her daughter, she immediately exploded: "You think your son is a good guy? He smells like a poor guy all over."
When Ge's father heard that his family's incense was looked down upon, he raised his fist and was about to hit him. Fortunately, the servants who arrived restrained him. Seeing him being knocked to the ground, Ge's mother cried out "Ouch" and howled: "I'm going to die! My mother-in-law is hitting me."
Seeing this, Guo Cuiping took Ji Zhao's hand and said, "Zhao'er, we won't get married."
But Ji Zhao simply brushed her away, lifted her veil, and said angrily: "They are Yonglang's parents after all, mother, how could you treat them like this?" As he said that, he personally helped Ge's mother and father up.
Mother Ge glanced at Guo Cuiping provocatively.
Guo Cuiping clutched her chest, furious. She pointed at the side door and said, "Get out of here right now! Get out of here right now!"
Ge Yong walked up to her and bowed politely: "Mother, we will leave first. We will come to visit again when we return home in three days."
The word "mother" made Guo Cuiping almost spit out blood.
Several people quickly left through the side door. Before leaving, Guo Cuiping saw Ge's mother trying to grab Ji Zhao's dowry. She couldn't help but take a step forward, but for some reason, she retracted her foot. She didn't walk back slowly until the backs of several people disappeared from her sight.
…
During the day, Ge Yongji got married, and at night, the one hundred taels of silver he brought to propose marriage disappeared.
When Shu Yao came back, she heard that Ji Shijing had been taken to the ancestral hall. She immediately realized that something was wrong and ran to the ancestral hall.
When she got there, she almost fainted from fright.
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